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eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

alan@ebay
eBay Staff (Alumni)

Hi Community,

 

Who wants to go to eBay Open 2018 on us?!


Through April 20, share your best eBay selling story on this thread and you could win hotel and eBay Open 2018 registration paid for the winner and one (1) guest to attend eBay Open 2018.

 

Tell us about your best eBay selling experience, with a photo if you want to add one.

 

The two most Helpful'd entries will win tickets to eBay Open 2018 for you and a guest, plus hotel! Winners announced April 30. 

 

For more information on how to enter and official rules see here: [link].

Alan - eBay Community Manager


If a member's response helped, please give it a Helpful. If you are the author of a thread and a member's response resolved your question, please click "Accept as Solution." More on Accepted Solutions.

Check out the eBay for Business podcast! For your chance to be featured on the show, call in with a question at 888 723-4630!

Message 1 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I already bought my ticket the day it opened up !! Yay!! .. but I did repost this to my Instagram for many others to come here and try ..Thanks

Message 2 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I had a buyer who received a destroyed envelope that was missing the item they bought. After they showed me photos and sent me a message about it, I immediately refunded and appologized.

 

After that, the same day, they bought almost 20 coins from me and return to my store all the time buying huge quantities of coins every time. They are my best buyer now and they stop by to buy coins from me all the time, sometimes spending over $70 per time.

 

All of this because of a destroyed package...




https://bio.link/langs
Message 3 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

This was many many years ago : 
I had an international buyer from Italy buy an antique camera from me.
I was worried about the transaction, it was Italy and I had heard that packages  got lost going there.
 
The buyer was super nice , paid  right away and was looking forward to his camera. 
 
Then two weeks after I sent it, the buyer contacted me , letting me know  that the camera was not there yet... My heart started pounding ... I was so upset but  the buyer  said he would wait.
 
We both waited for this package to arrived... sadly  the time was almost up for the buyer to file a claim, buyer contacted me and told me HE HAD to file a claim but not to worry  that if he got the camera he would send me an email and  pay for it again!
 
I  said ok  but was never  holding much hope, went on  with my life and forgot all about it
 
SIX MONTHS later I received a PayPal payment  with a note saying he finally got the camera.
 
That buyer restore my faith in human kind.... I now treat every single buyer with  what our founder  Pierre Omidyar philosophy is : "that people are basically good." and "If you give people the opportunity to do the right thing, you'll rarely be disappointed."
 
eBay is an amazing place to do business with and I look forward to many years of happy transactions!

ღஐƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒஐღ Patty ღஐƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒஐღ
Message 4 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I sell Vintage Car Magazines on eBay and often get messages from buyers who tell me that their car was showcased in an issue they purchased, or their aunt was the pinup model in a 1950s Hot Rod magazine, or that they had driven a 1940s race car featured in an issue like the gentleman who said "I remember when the tires were skinny and the drivers were fat."

 

Of all the great stories I've heard from people remembering the past through an old magazine they bought on eBay, none stand out more than a customer who purchased a May 1954 issue of Motor Trend that pictured  a sporty little car named Venus on the front cover. 

 

venus-1

 

The Venus was a concept car that never made it into production and only a few prototypes were ever made. He shared with me that the car was designed by his father and that he had found one of the remaining Venus prototypes for a restoration project. He bought the magazine as part of the reference material he was gathering because of the few prototypes that were built, even fewer survived and information was hard to come by.

 

kenneth-w-mcload-34-years-oldmt-article-page-2

 

His restoration project was a true labor of love that honored his father's memory. He maintained a detailed blog where he chronicled his progress, showed vintage Venus items he found, presented the manufacturing challenges he faced as well as his accomplishments in the restoration.

 

Venus.jpg

 

eBay is the only place that connects people and their stories through vintage items like this. Thank you Mr. McLoad for sharing your fantastic story with me and thank you eBay for making it possible.

 

Bruce

Vintage Car Magazines



VintageCarMagazines

Message 5 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I met my now wife when we completed a transaction on eBay...  I am just kidding...

 

Picking a favorite is hard. There are so many great experiences. I think my favorite is when I sell a collectible item and the buyer is so excited they send me a photo of the item in their collection. I get to see the joy I help bring to people. I also get to see some amazing collections as well

Message 6 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I sell used car parts I harvest from wrecks in wrecking yards.

About 12 years ago, I came across a 1968 Toyota Corona sitting up on blocks at my favourite yard. I took the tail lights and had them as two auctions. Fellow from Japan bought them both. He then sends me a message asking what else is there.

I take pictures of the car, send them to him, he sends them back with circles and arrows pointing to the parts he wants. I go back, get all of those parts, make a listing, pack them up, send them off to him, in Tokyo. I paid $20 plus my shipping cost, I got $400 back.

From the centre of Canada, I sold vinatge Toyota Corona parts to Japan. 

Message 7 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I started selling on eBay for extra cash and because I love to find cool things and clothing I think others will appreciate buying at a cheaper cost. 

About two weeks ago I sold an UCLA quilted vest, which had two side pockets. I packaged the vest and sent it on its way. Three days later I received a message from the buyer telling me she received her vest and loves it! However, she had found 4 pieces of my jewelry in one of the pockets!!! Almost $3000.00 worth! I told her, "OMG!!! "I can't believe I didn't check the pockets"! She told me, "not a problem and that she would put them in the mail". I thanked her for being so honest. 

Lesson learned from this, ALWAYS CHECK THE POCKETS! 

She works with kids within the foster system, who had not been adopted and transition into their own home when they reach the age of 18. I told her I will be paying it forward by donating a portion of my sales to the nonprofit organization A Sense of Home. 

 

 

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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

I started selling on eBay 20 years ago, antiques and collectibles. I have sold many items to museums including the Harley Davidson Museum - the oldest saddlebag that they had encountered at that time; a museum in Illinois bought the oldest Ship Smokestack chart they had ever seen from us; a mint condition early 1900’s toaster went to a museum in Connecticut; a very early hotel plate went to a museum on Mackinac Island. 

 

But the item that holds the fondest memory for me went to a gentleman that bought a Railroad magazine from me. It had a photo of his Grandfather on the cover. Here is what he wrote to me: 

 

Hello, Kathy -

 

I bought from you on eBay a Reading-Jersey Central magazine featuring E. W. Scheer on the front cover.  Yellowed and soft, it is a treasure for my family, and I wanted to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for making it available.

 

We just celebrated my mother's 100th birthday, after she came in from tending her 2-acre gardens.  Edward W. Scheer was her father.  He began his railroad career as a laborer and ended as the president.  Except for a few pictures and 8mm movies, we have very little memorabilia of him, so your contribution is very welcome.  It will go to his namesake grandson, now living in N. Carolina.

 

Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

M*** H*******

 

It certainly wasn’t an expensive item, but it sure was special to that family. 

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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

My favorite ebay story, and there have been so many, I think is this one.   I once sold 8 ounces of catnip to a lady around Christmas.  Soon thereafter she messaged me to inform me that she came home to a pack of feral cats having a party on her porch.  This was years ago.  I wish I still had the pictures she later emailed me.   The porch swing was dangling, garlands and lights were hanging willy nilly.  The box and packing materials were shredded like snow on her porch.  Those cats got treated to a their own Christmas Party.  I sent her a new supply to her office.  Thank goodness she was an animal lover and not angry about the situation.

Message 10 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

A few months ago I listed a Microchip board on eBay for 24.99, with North America shipping. A buyer in Toronto wanted to buy it (50 miles from me). He wanted to pick it up, but I don't have a storefront. I agreed to overnight shipping to him, and assured him it would take no more than two days, so he'd get it right before the weekend. I left work early to drop his item off at the post office for the day's pick up. The buyer had told me he was going away on the weekend and wanted his computer module before he left for the USA.

 

Friday came and went, and at 7pm the buyer messaged me that he hadn't gotten the board. He expressed a lot of disappointment, and there was no tracking to show what happened to it. He called Canada Post, and I called Canada Post. We opened a ticket to look for it. I got a refund issued on my postage and returned the $12 the buyer paid me for shipping.

 

I walked into my partner's office and told him the story of the board we lost (my partner is an electrical engineer, this was the sort of equipment he uses for work). We looked through several boxes in his office and found something similar that was out of the box. Since the buyer had given me his phone number I called him and told him I might have a replacement if he could arrange to meet me halfway. I took a picture of the board, and sent it to the buyer. He replied "that will do".

 

In messages we discussed meeting and he said he'd be passing through my city on the way to New York on Sunday. We confirmed a time he'd stop by to pick it up, so he could have it before he left Canada. I received a text when he was on his way, and he showed up promptly at 2pm to pick up the board. We had a brief chat, apparently he did the same kind of work my partner did, only for him since he's retired it's just a  hobby.

 

On Monday I found out the module was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1500 miles away from where it was supposed to be delivered. A few days later it showed up at the buyer's house. The buyer emailed me to tell me the board was delivered to his house, and he'll be passing through my city in two weeks and would like to drop it off. I arranged a safe place for him to leave it if we weren't home.

 

I wasn't home when the buyer came by, but my partner was. He invited the buyer in for tea and they sat in his office to talk about Microchip and projects that these boards would run. My partner has software that works on Microchip boards and offered a trial package for the buyer to fool around with on his computer. He gave the buyer a card in case there's anything else he needed, and bid farewell.

 

Cheers, C.

Message 11 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

My 80 something mother and I began selling on Ebay in a big way about 8 to 10 years ago. Mom was in poor health at the time and I decided to quit my job as a mental health counselor and pursue a whole new frontier. I had to care for my mom during this time and Ebay presented a fantastic opportunity for me to do so and still be able to keep our financials in order. It was a scary transition, that's for sure, but I was the only one left in the family as I am an only child. 

 

We started with an addiction for vintage high end costume jewelry. We drove together all over the southern states when mom was well enough and scored some great items from antique shops. At one point we were discovering items that could sell for 10 to 20 times what we paid for them, and you know what--THEY DID, right here. Personally, I could not believe we were able to do this here and am still amazed that it started out that way.

 

We then focused on branded fine jewelry with the profits we made with the other offerings. Mom got very ill during this time and fell at an apartment she was staying at on a visit to our home state FL. I was in another state. She did not want me to leave my Ebay business unattended, so she flew there on her own. During this time I was flying to FL to visit her in a nursing home where she was being treated and she was not recovering well. I flew there at least 4 times with my Ebay packages and my mobile device so my shipments still went out on time. That was a rough period, but we still kept it going.

 

Mom never recovered from the fall and got progressively worse. She died in 2013.  She left me with a thriving business here on Ebay, and without her, I would have never been here. I continue this business here because it has been  overall one of the best experiences in my life to be able to work on the internet. This is not one story about one sale, it's about The joy of being your own boss and the joy of being able to do this here. I am grateful for my mother's inspiration to continue on.

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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

Wife goes to yard sale and gives me a call.  Hey, do you want this toy?  I am thinking why the heck would I want that toy, we already have a few.  She buys it anyway and brings it home.  She paid 5 bucks for it and tells me to list it on ebay  I do and 10 minutes later the thing sells for 500 dollars.  She looks at me and laughs.  A few months later she calls me up and asks if I want a toy.  I say why would I want that toy and she buys several of them anyway.  Brings them home, 10 minutes later they sell for 500 each.  She paid 5 bucks for them.  A few months later, she calls me and almost immediately says, oh, forget it.

 

Moral of the story, dont listen to me.

Wherever you go, there you are. Please remember, when you are asked if you are a god, you say yes.
Message 13 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

Years ago as a fairly new seller I was selling a unique punch set for scrapbooking.   I had listed it twice without it selling and then was contacted by someone who had missed the last listing but wanted it.   So I listed it a third time.   But before they could buy it, someone else swooped in and got it.   I didn't then know of the ways you can list an item to make sure a certain person got it - plus what are the odds that no one wanted it the first two times and then the third listing two people were clamoring for it.  

 

So I contacted the first person and told them I was sorry that someone else got to it first - but that if it fell thru I would let them know.    Sure enough about 4 days go by and no payment.   I contacted the buyer and asked them when they would be paying and they said they bought it for a friend and the friend didn't like the shipping amount.   I said that the shipping showed on the listing and it was a heavy punch set.   I told them if they wanted to back out I would cancel - as I had another buyer waiting.   Didn't hear anything and I called customer support for help - as I had never had a non-payer before.   They told me I had to wait 7 days to file a UPI.   So on day eight I opened the claim.   Still didn't hear anything from the buyer - but every day or two I was talking with the first person and we became "buddies".   She was still wanting the set and was waiting patiently to see how it played out.   

 

Several days after opening the UPI I again asked the buyer when they would pay.   They said they were waiting for their friend to pay them.    My feeling was that they should have paid me and then they could have waited as long as they wanted for their friend to pay them.    But I got nothing and on day eight of the UPI claim I closed it and gave them a strike on their account.   Then I relisted and my first person got it this time.   But meanwhile, the buyer leaves me a negative saying I wouldn't wait for payment -  even tho I had waited about 16 days and they were not telling me anything.   So I called customer support and was told there were no grounds for removing the negative.   Well I hit the ceiling and sent off a scathing email to customer support.   I got a message back from Trust & Safety saying they removed the negative - that I had waited long enough.   Whew!

 

So I had shipped the item to my first person and waited to hear from her about it.   I saw it was delivered and still heard nothing from her - which was strange.   After about two weeks I contacted her and asked if she was not happy with it.   This was her reply............

 

"Oh Sharon - I'm sorry I didn't contact you.  My only daughter was killed in a car accident and I am in a fog and have no idea what I am doing." 

 

The pain in that message was intense and broke my heart - and still makes me choke up just thinking about it.   I messaged her back my sympathy and still think about her - even after all these years.   I have "met" a lot of people buying and selling on ebay - and many have become ebay buddies.   But that one still sticks in my head in such a haunting way.  It's actually almost hard to share the story as it affected me so deeply.   But that's a nice sideline with being involved on ebay - that we get to come in and out of each other's lives. 

Message 14 of 37
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Re: eBay Open 2018 - Community Contest - Free Registration & Hotel

good stories

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